Nightmare Saturday at Shinnecock Hills

DJ, who was the -150 minus-money favorite while holding a four-shot lead entering play on Saturday, shot a 77 in the third round to completely erase his comfortable lead. Shinnecock Hills was brutally tough for the golfers who played later in the day, as scores heightened across the board as the round went on. No one from the final 22 groups could match par.

At +3, Johnson, Koepka, Finau and Berger share the highest 54-hole score to lead a U.S. Open since Winged Foot in 1974. The scoring average (75.33) is the highest for a third round at the major since Pebble Beach in 2000.

Berger and Finau took advantage of the favorable early conditions to shoot the low rounds of the day with a 4-under 66. Per Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, no player has ever been outside the top 35 after the second round and won a major championship. Berger and Finau were tied for 45th entering Saturday.

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Ahead of moving day at the 2018 U.S. Open, Dustin Johnson is in a league of his own at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

After two rounds, Dustin Johnson is the -150 favorite to win the U.S. Open.

Johnson, who shot a 3-under-par 67 on Friday, sits atop the leaderboard at the second major of the year at 4 under. DJ has a four-stroke lead over Scott Piercy and Charley Hoffman who are at even par after two days. Tommy Fleetwood (+1), Henrik Stenson (+1), Justin Rose (+1), Brooks Koepka (+1), Ian Poulter (+1), Russell Henley (+2) and Rickie Fowler (+2) are within striking distance.

History is on Johnson's side

Shinnecock was much more forgiving on Friday compared to Thursday’s blustery opening round, and the scores dropped across the board as a result. Fleetwood and Koepka shared the low round of the day at 66.

While you won’t find much value by backing Johnson entering Saturday, history is on his side in a big way. According to Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, Johnson is the fifth player in the last 100 years to lead the U.S. Open by four or more strokes after 36 holes. The previous four won by a combined total of 40 shots.

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The USGA prides itself on creating the toughest test possible for the best golfers in the world, and the opening round of the 2018 U.S. Open proved to be up to the task and then some in one of the most challenging Thursdays in recent history.

After round 1, Dustin Johnson is the +250 favorite to win the U.S. Open.

On a blustery day at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club that featured very few birdie opportunities and an abundance of big numbers on scorecards, Scott Piercy, Ian Poulter, Russell Henley and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson topped the leaderboard with a 1-under 69. Jason Dufner (even), Matthieu Pavon (+1), Justin Rose (+1), Charles Howell III (+1), Charley Hoffman (+1), Sam Burns (+1), Henrik Stenson (+1) and Byeong Hun An (+1) were within striking distance after 18 holes.

Top players fade to the back of the pack in New York

Many of the biggest names on the PGA Tour struggled mightily at Shinnecock, namely Rory McIlroy (+10), Jason Day (+9), Jon Rahm (+8), Jordan Spieth (+8) and Phil Mickelson (+7). Tiger Woods, who entered the tournament with +2200 odds to end his 10-year major drought, endured a nightmare round which culminated in an 8-over-par 78.

Needless to say, whatever happens from here on out at the U.S. Open is anyone’s guess. Here’s a look at the book’s full list of odds ahead of Day 2.

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The first major of the 2017-18 PGA Tour season is in the books, and next up on the docket is the ever-tough U.S. Open. This year, the esteemed event will be held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Shinnecock Hills, New York on June 14-17.

Dustin Johnson is the +800 favorite to win the 2018 U.S. Open.

When it comes to odds lists, Dustin Johnson leads the pack at +800 odds at Bovada. Justin Rose (+1200), Justin Thomas (+1400), Rory McIlroy (+1400), Jason Day (+1600), Rickie Fowler (+1800), Jordan Spieth (+1800), Jon Rahm (+1800), Brooks Koepka (+2000) and Tiger Woods (+2200) comprise the rest of the top 10 at the shop. Prior to DJ’s triumph at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last weekend, his odds were +1100.

The 2018 U.S. Open marks the 10th anniversary of Woods’ last major win. For a full preview of Woods’ chances to win the tournament, click here.

Koepka earned his first major victory at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills.

Shinnecock Hills gets a facelift

The last time the tournament was played at Shinnecock Hills was in 2004, but the course is going to have a much different look this time around. The track has been stretched, sculpted and restored to more of its original character, including narrower fairways and an increase in fairway bunkers. The par-70 layout has been lengthened by 446 yards to 7,445, with the longest extensions (76 yards each) coming to the par-4 14th hole (519 yards) and the par-5 16th (616 yards).

Retief Goosen won the tournament in 2004 with a final score of 4 under. Only Goosen and Phil Mickelson (-2) managed to finish under par. Mickelson, who’s never won the U.S. Open but has placed as the runner-up on six occasions, is +2800 to complete the major grand slam.

The U.S. Open is designed to challenge the best players on the tour, so don’t be surprised if many golfers struggle more than usual in New York. To find out which three golfers are my favorite picks to win, check out my PGA Expert Picks piece. For a breakdown of potential sleepers to watch out for, click here. Here’s a look at Bovada’s full odds list:

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